AUGH! Unify everything, that seems to be the deal now. Mozilla wants to unify visuals across all platforms? Canonical wants to unify the server and desktop kernels into one? Google wants to unify it's privacy policy into one policy? Just because unification exists, doesn't mean it's good for EVERYTHING! The world is going to get very boring, and very vanilla, very quickly. Variety is great. Choice is great. I don't want unitification FORCED on me. Even in nature, there are boundaties. Why don't we remove the boudaries, and unify EVERYTHING, and I mean E V E R Y T H I N G. Let's unify the land and the ocean, and make a muddy mess! While we are at it, let's unify the earth's molten core, as well as the air. We will call it.... Bleh!

Why am I being given a CHOICE of hospitals, a CHOICE of schools, a CHOICE of dentists. It's all an illusion anyway and you end up with something worse or further away from you for no good reason, to hide lack of supply or lack of funding on the government's part. Why can I just be assigned a single one of those like has been done for 50 years in the UK? Choice is indeed a tyranny.

We knew unification was coming for many years now, it's just finally be realized. I, for one, would like to see the day when desktop computers are really just our phones plugged into a dock, with double the power of today's computers.

I agree that some unification isn't going well, aka windows 8, but the kinks need to be worked out. It will get better.

It's just sad to see everything I grew up on slipping into nostalgia. Some of my best memories involved tweaking Windows, or learning the ins and outs of a shiny new OS. Yeah, I've posted about things like this before, usually griping about it. Oh well, the pyramid will become top-heavy and topple over eventually. Then the excitement begins again.

1) The proposed Firefox changes make a lot of sense. If anything the design is bringing the desktop browser UI concepts to the mobile devices. The slides were promising and were a lot more inspiring than the direction the Firefox UI was heading.

2) Use another Linux distro? It's not like Ubuntu has some secret sauce. You have options, that's what Linux is all about.

3) It isn't like any of the Google privacy policies were great previously. Now you just have to read one to find out don't want to use their services/products.

I understand the sentiment but frankly given the examples you used I don't have much faith you put a lot of thought in to this. It seems like the typical "It's changing therefore it must be bad" nonsense that is becoming increasingly prevalent among "computer enthusiasts."* You complain about a lack of choice when in all three of those above examples you have tons of choice. Stop being lazy and complaining just because things change and you have to learn something new.

*Though I bet this has long been the case, it certainly is with most things. It semi-blows my mind how supposed technology enthusiasts fear every change in their hobby.

moresmarterthanspock wrote:Mozilla wants to unify visuals across all platforms?.

An application is supposed to look and work the same across all platforms it supports. It makes switching easier, and people will whine about it if it doesn't.

Canonical wants to unify the server and desktop kernels into one?

This is interesting. I wonder what their plan is since desktops and servers are a little bit different in regards to tuning.

Google wants to unify it's privacy policy into one policy?

I'm surprised it wasn't this way from the beginning. The services are from the same company after all.

The world is going to get very boring, and very vanilla, very quickly.

Too late! Your new and exciting world was someone else's boring and vanilla world.

Look, the world is flat. It's not getting better, it's not getting worse, it just exists. The world is a great and wondrous place with more things then anyone could ever explore and learn in a lifetime. The antithesis of boredom is curiosity, so be curious.

Why don't we remove the boudaries, and unify EVERYTHING...

Lines that only exist on maps are dumb and gross classifications are pretty lazy. Yes, anarchy it is.

First there is the issue of branding - making the product look the same everywhere means better communication about identity with the market.

Second there is the issue of efficiency - by putting the focus on differences that really matter and not on those that don't, development and support can be simplified and that can reduce costs.

Then there is the problem with trolls - unity in trolling forums seems to have already taken these two features into its bosom... common 'attitude' common tactics and common approach to new ideas seems to be a unifying theme.